Both BMW WilliamsF1 drivers would complete just eight laps between them in the opening Saturday practice at Imola. Mark would finish in fifth while Nick would make it into the top ten in tenth position.

On a cold day, temperature 12 degrees, the teams would come out for the first of
Saturday's 45 minute practice sessions for the 2005 San Marino Grand Prix. The first driver out would be Red Bull's Tonio Liuzzi, joined by both Jordan's, the Minardi of  Albers and Sauber's Felipe Massa. Liuzzi would get straight down to things and set a  time of 1m:31.284.

He would be the only driver out on the track for some time and the Italian would
improve his time with a lap of 1m:27.566. He would return to the pits. So after
fifteen minutes only Liuzzi had set a time. The teams were taking their usual slow start to proceedings. Finally Minardi's Patrick Friesacher would come out followed by the two Ferrari's. Albers and Liuzzi were also out again on the track.

Michael Schumacher would return to his garage after his installation lap but Rubens would start his first flying lap. He would set a time of 1m:31.561, while Liuzzi would improve his earlier time with a lap of 1m:26.584. Albers first lap would see him with a time of 1m:32.771.

Barrichello would improve with a 1m:26.698. Red Bull's Liuzzi would also improve his time with a lap of 1m:26.107. Team-mate David Coulthard was now out circulating around the track. Rubens would finally beat Liuzzi's time with a 1m:24.839, while Coulthard had moved into third.

With twenty minutes remaining Coulthard would move into second but his time was beaten by Jordan's Tiago Monteiro, with a time of 1m:25.197, to see him in second. Both Coulthard and Monteiro would pit after setting their times. So with nearly thirty minutes of the session run only four cars had set a time, something that must be frustrating to the paying spectators. A 1m:25.441 from Liuzzi would see him now in third. Friesacher would set a time of 1m:31.125 that would see him last.

With ten minutes remaining Michael Schumacher would take to the track for the second time and would immediately set a very quick time with a lap of 1m:21.663. He would improve on this time with a 1m:21.520. Michael would then return to his pit. McLaren's Alex Wurz would come out, followed by BAR's Jenson Button. With five minutes left a group pf cars all took to the track.

Barrichello would improve with a 1:24.186, while Wurz would move into third with a 1m:24.359. Button would start his first lap while Luizzi would move into second with a 1m:24.171. Barrichello was now in second with a 1m:23.930. Kimi Raikkonen was now in fourth with a 1m:24.067. Button was way down in eleventh. In the closing minutes Jordan's Narain Karthikeyan would spin his Jordan. He would make slight contact with the wall but was able to continue.

For the BMW WilliamsF1 team the session was very quite but Mark Webber was able to move into fourth with a time of 1m:23.788. Mass and Raikkonen were in third and fourth. Team-mate Nick Heidfeld was down in tenth with a time of 1m:24.341. Michael would improve on his time with a lap of 1m:21.356. Team-mate Rubens was now in second with a 1m:22.885.